Continuing a theme of domination from the regular season, ASU volleyball clinched a spot in the third round of the NCAA tournament, sweeping in round one and winning 3-1 in round two.
After a regular season that saw ASU finish 26-3 and claim a second consecutive Big 12 title, the Sun Devils went into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed. Drawn in the region as ASU's first round opponent was Coppin State.
READ MORE: Volleyball pushes for postseason run following dominant regular season
As the Sun Devils stepped onto the court to face the 23-11 Eagles, Desert Financial Arena surged, hungry for tournament volleyball.
Once the game started, the energy in Tempe stayed in favor of ASU. Off the back of a red-hot crowd, the Sun Devils continued their domination, taking set one by a 25-11 score.
Coppin State found a way back into the game, facing a three-point deficit midway through set two. However, the Sun Devils stayed unfazed throughout the run, winning the set 25-14.
ASU kept its foot on the gas in the third. In front of 2,951 fans in the desert, ASU finished the job, sweeping the Eagles with a 25-12 third set.
Head coach JJ Van Niel was pleased with his team's performance following the sweep.
"Ever since we clinched the Big 12, I've tried hard ... every single practice, every match we played is prep for the tournament," Van Niel said. "I was proud that they came out and did this."
With Utah State defeating No. 7 Tennessee, the Aggies would serve as round two opponents for the Sun Devils the following night.
Utah State came in with energy, keeping the first set close midway through, before the Sun Devils went on an 11-2 run to take set one.
The second set was a similar story. The Aggies continued to fight, keeping the set close, but ASU's firepower was too much, leading to a 25-18 second set.
However, Utah State would not go down without a fight. Deadlocked at 22, they won three important points in a row to take the third set 25-22.
While the Aggies kept momentum at the beginning of set four, ASU bounced back. The Sun Devils took the fourth set 25-15.
With a regional semifinal on the horizon, 2025 Big 12 Player of the Year and junior opposite hitter Noemie Glover continues to shine.
After an impactful victory, Glover pointed to her motivations through important tournament games.
"This is the sport that we've all been playing since we were children, and children are watching," Glover said. "We want to inspire them, and we want to have fun and encourage them to bring some energy into when they play. That energy brings you a long way."
Making a run this far into the tournament takes a village. Senior setter Sydney Henry pointed to the energy of her teammates on the bench for how far the team has come.
"The bench, we call them game changers," Henry said. "The energy that they bring definitely affects the court. We play so much better when they have the energy there."
As the players sing the alma mater song with the student section, they go back to the locker room with the knowledge that they avenged 2024's second-round loss to Texas A&M. Now, they'll head to Lexington, Kentucky, with 16 teams remaining and face Creighton, with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line.
Edited by Alan Deutschendorf, Henry Smardo and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at aswift10@asu.edu and follow @alexswiftsports on X.
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